


Like Summer Storms

by MeteoraWrites



Category: Fear the Walking Dead (TV), Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Crossover Pairings, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Drug Abuse, F/M, Family Drama, Family Secrets, I start with season 1 and go all the way through 3, Isaac Lahey and Troy Otto are Twins, Isaac views Nick and his family as his pack, It starts with Isaac and eventually switches to Nick then Troy, Jeremiah Otto's A+ Parenting, M/M, Madison Clark's A+ Parenting, No one knows Isaac is a wolf, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Past Nick Clark/Gloria, Past Nick Clark/Isaac Lahey, Series Rewrite, Werewolf Pain-Relief Magic, Werewolves, except Nick, mostly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-10-24 17:15:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17708387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeteoraWrites/pseuds/MeteoraWrites
Summary: In a world where Isaac and Nick met thanks to a pen-pal program their schools had as children. They stayed in contact over the years, becoming so close that when the disaster with the Nogitsune happens and Allison dies, Isaac runs away to El Sereno instead of France so that he can finish school with Nick. They fall into a relationship after that and seem to be happy for a while.Now, over four years later, they've broken up because of Nick's addiction, the world is ending, dead rising to consume the living. This is the story of how having a werewolf by your side makes surviving the zombie apocalypse a hell of a lot easier.Secrets are learned along the way and relationships are broken while new ones are forged. Who will Nick choose to be with in the end?





	1. Prologue: The Story of Nick and Isaac

**Author's Note:**

> The original idea of this story came from the lovely Messiah, who sent me a drabble request for Isaac and Nick. Thank you for that sweeetie.
> 
> And thanks to everyone in my FTWD Trick Fans discord group, for spurring me into needing to actually write the whole story.

**_Four years before the apocalypse_ ** 

Nick looked around nervously before checking his phone for the third time. He was early. Really early. And he’d already had two large cups of coffee. Which was a lot of caffeine for a fifteen-year-old boy. He tapped his foot and checked his phone one more time right as an incoming text popped up onto the screen. 

 _“You look_ _nervous_ _”_ It read, making Nick instantly look up and around. There were half a dozen tables outside the cafe, and standing just outside of the cluster to Nick’s left stood Isaac. All six foot two of him, complete with his stupid cardigan and scarf he was always wearing when they would skype. Nick felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of him. 

“Hey,” Isaac said with a sheepish smile as he walked up to stand in front of Nick. 

“Hey,” Nick parroted, a smile of his own spreading across his lips. Before he could think twice he was on his feet and pulling the friend and longtime crush he’d only ever seen on the other end of a screen into a hug. A hug which Isaac returned without hesitation. 

Isaac grinned as he let his head drop forward so he could bury his nose in Nick’s hair. Taking in the scent he’d wondered about ever since he became a wolf and started to really notice such things about people. He tried not to chuckle at the difference in height between them. Nick was maybe five foot seven, but from the looks of him, he might get taller. “You never said you were short,” he teased. 

“You never said you were a giant,” Nick teased back before letting go and grinning up at Isaac. “I can’t believe you really moved here. I can’t believe you’re going to be going to my school!” he added excitedly as the two of them took a seat and he flagged down the waitress so Isaac could order and he could switch to decaf. 

“I needed a change of scenery,” Isaac said dismissively before smiling again. “Where better than where my best friend lives?” He added before thanking the waitress and taking a sip of his latte. 

Nick grinned at that but tried to hide the expression behind his coffee mug. “I’m really glad you came,” he said in all honesty. 

“Yeah. I am too.” 

 **_Three and a half years before the apocalypse_ ** 

Nick made his way up the stairs of Isaac’s apartment building quickly. It was late, and he wasn’t sure if he was being followed still, so he went as fast as he could. Isaac had a rule about texting or calling before coming over, even late at night, but Nick’s phone was dead and he was too freaked out to think of anything other than getting to someplace safe after the guys he’d gone past in the park had yelled their threats and chased him down the street. 

The door was locked and the music coming from Isaac’s apartment was loud, but Nick had his key on hand and he let himself in quickly.  

And promptly froze at the sight before him as the door slammed shut behind him. 

Isaac had him pinned against the door. And Isaac wasn’t the Isaac that Nick knew. His face was contorted. Brow sloped and animal-like. Eyes glowing gold. And his teeth were long and sharp as he bared them at Nick a moment before realization dawned on his face and he backed away so fast it almost gave Nick whiplash. 

“N-nick, I...” Isaac stammered before his face shifted back to the one that Nick knew. “I’m sorry, I... I...”  

“What are you?” Nick asked, swallowing his fear and pushing away from the door to follow Isaac as he took a few more steps back. 

“You wouldn’t believe me...” Isaac muttered, expression still horrified. 

“I just saw your screwed-up face and glowing eyes. Try me!” Nick challenged, still advancing as Isaac retreated. 

“W-werewolf. I’m a werewolf,” Isaac said before backing into a wall and turning his head so he was looking anywhere but at Nick as the younger boy came to stand in front of him. Waiting for the whole thing to blow up in his face. 

Nick studied Isaac a moment before speaking. “Show me.”  

Isaac snapped his head back to facing Nick, his mouth agape as he struggled to process what he’d just heard. 

“Show me. This time, without shoving me into a door.” Nick said with a little smile that helped break the tension of the moment. 

Isaac swallowed thickly and nodded once before closing his eyes and letting his face shift. When he opened them again Nick was right in his face. Warm brown eyes staring into glowing gold. Isaac could see the supernatural glow of his own eyes reflecting of Nick’s. It made them look even more beautiful. 

“Is this why you never let me stay over? Why you always can tell when somethings wrong even when I haven’t said anything?” Nick asked as he leaned in closer so his body was pressing up against Isaac’s now. His hands coming up to grab ahold of the front of Isaac’s shirt. 

“Yes...” He said with a small nod as he let his features melt back to normal. 

“No more secrets,” Nick said, shushing Isaac when he opened his mouth to protest. “Tell me everything and I tell you everything. You mean too much to me for this to ruin things.”  

“Alright, I’ll tell you everything,” Isaac swore before melting into the sudden kiss from Nick that he had been hoping for for a long time. 

 **_Three years before the apocalypse_ ** 

Isaac woke to the sound of the front door of his apartment opening and closing in a rush.  A familiar yet erratic heartbeat coming his way. A second later he smelled sorrow and a hint of anger preceding the sight of a disheveled and tear-stricken Nick. 

Pushing himself up in bed he managed to move the blanket out of the way just in time to catch Nick as he collapsed onto the bed and into Isaac’s waiting arms. “Hey, what’s wrong?” The wolf asked, pulling Nick closer as he started to cry again. He managed to make out the words ‘dad’ and ‘car accident’ and that’s all Isaac needed to know. He pulled Nick closer, slipping a hand under his shirt to try and drain away some of the pain the younger man was feeling. 

“Hey, I’ve got you. Ssssshhh,” Isaac soothed, not sure what he could possibly say right now to ease the loss of his boyfriend's father. He felt terrible. Mr. Clark was a kind man. A bit withdrawn, obviously depressed, but he accepted Nick and Isaac’s relationship faster than Mrs. Clark had, and he always made Isaac feel welcome in their home. 

“I... I don’t know what to do, Isaac... “ Nick mumbled into his chest later on once he’d stopped crying. 

“You be there for your mom and sister. And I’ll be there for all of you. You’ll get through this, Nicky,” He whispered into Nick’s hair where his face was pressed into the top of Nick’s head. “I promise.” 

 **_Two years before the apocalypse_ ** 

The halls of the rehabilitation clinic always made Isaac want to bolt out the door the moment he walked in. This was Nick’s second stay in 9 months. The first time being after he first started using and Isaac had managed to track him down in one of the dingier parts of town with a needle still in his arm as he twitched and dreamed in his drugged out state.  

This time he had been arrested for possession with intent to sell and given the option of rehab or prison. Nick chose rehab even though he didn’t really want to get clean. Not yet. He had too many demons to fight still. 

Isaac bit back a growl when he made it to the common area and found Nick sitting with her again. Gloria. She was sweet, and understanding, and a total liar. She had Nick wrapped around her little finger and no word from Isaac or anyone else in Nick’s family could convince him she wasn’t good for him. 

Nevertheless, Isaac plastered a smile on his face and made his way over to see his boyfriend, who was out of the worst of his withdrawals and looking genuinely happy to see him today. 

 **_Three weeks before the apocalypse_ ** 

“Nick, I swear if you walk out that door I’m done. You know I would do anything for you, but you need to put in some effort on your end too! So, you flunked out of college, who cares! You never wanted to go in the first place! Your mom will get over it and you can find something else to do. Something you actually enjoy!” Isaac said as he followed Nick through the apartment towards the front door. 

“YOU DON’T GET IT! YOU NEVER HAVE!” Nick yelled as he spun on his heel to point an accusing finger at Isaac. “I’m not cut out for any of this. I never have been! I can’t be what any of you want me to be!” He argued, though his heartbeat gave away that he didn’t entirely believe what he was saying. 

Isaac scoffed at that and grabbed Nick’s wrist where the younger man was still pointing at him. “That’s bullshit and you know it. Stop taking the easy way out, Nick. I don’t want to lose you too!”  

Something flashed over Nick’s face at Isaacs words, but he quickly shook his head and pulled his wrist from the wolfs grip. “I can’t, I’m sorry,” he said before turning and walking out the door without another word. 

Isaac listened to his heartbeat right up until he heard the sound of a car door opening and Gloria asking where Nick wanted to go. 

Isaac put his fist through his television and howled for the first time in years. 


	2. Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly following the pilot, I've tweaked some things since Isaac's presence changes events a bit. Hope you all enjoy.

When Isaac’s phone lit up with an incoming call from Madison, he had honestly expected it to be bad news. Or rather, worse news. Nick had been hit by a car that morning and was in the hospital with a sprained ankle, some minor scrapes, and bruises. Maybe a cracked rib as well. 

He breathed a sigh of relief and told Madison he’d head over to the hospital as soon as he finished with his last two patients for the day. The golden retriever on the table whined at him when he hung up the phone, and he turned to her with a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, Rubi didn’t mean to ignore you,” Isaac said, giving the old girl a scratch behind the ears and draining away any pain she felt as he gave her a shot a moment later. 

Once he was done at the clinic, he made his away across town, hoping that Nick wanted to see him. Or at the very least would let him in long enough to see that he was alright. Hell, even hearing his heartbeat from down the hall right now would be a kindness with as worried as he’s been. He was still angry, still hurting, but his worries outweighed that at the moment. 

The nurse at the front desk tapped her pen annoyingly as she waited for an answer as to whether Isaac was on Nick Clark’s visitation list. It made him want to growl. He held back the urge in favor of training his hearing in on the call, instead. 

 _“He’s on the list of family. Go ahead and let him in.”_  

Isaac made sure to give the woman one of his sweetest smiles as she buzzed him into the intensive care ward. It wasn’t much, but it made the woman’s irritated smell lighten a little and a small smile of her own tugged at her lips as he walked past. 

Hospitals were truly unsettling places to werewolves. All the smells. Sounds. Isaac had hated them long before he took the bite, but after that, they became all the more unsettling. He tried to focus as he walked along, listening for the one thing he needed to hear most right now. 

Nick’s heartbeat was steady when his hearing finally found it, a little quick, but he never had a normal heart-rate in places like this. Isaac felt a great deal of tension leave his body as soon as he recognized the sound. He could also hear Travis, who was about to leave for the evening. 

The older man spotted him as he stepped out of Nick’s room and quickly walked the short distance down the hall to pull Isaac into a hug. “He’s okay,” he assured, giving Isaac a reassuring squeeze. 

Isaac nodded, returning the hug easily. Travis had always had a soothing presence. Calming, much like Nick’s dad had been. They parted a second later, and Isaac gave Travis a tired but grateful look. “How bad is he, really?” 

Travis sighed and brought a hand up to rub at the back of his neck as he spoke. “Honestly? He’s scared out his mind. Says he saw something at the church. Don’t tell him, but I’m going to drive out and take a look around before I head home.” 

Isaac quirks a brow at that. “What kind of something?” he asked, knowing all too well the kinds of things that hung around that side of town. Though, when he was high, Nick’s imagination did run away with him... 

“I’ll let him tell you if he feels up to it. I’ll call you later,” Travis said dismissively before clapping a hand on Isaac’s shoulder and moving to walk past him. “He’s still a bit shaken, but I know he’ll be happy to see you.” 

“Thanks, Travis,” Isaac said, giving the man a smile and nod before they parted ways.  A moment later Isaac made his way to the door of the room Nick was currently sharing with an old man that looked like he’s on deaths doorstep. Nick had his eyes closed, but he wasn’t asleep. Not even close. Taking a breath to steady himself, Isaac knocked on the window lightly to get Nick’s attention before stepping in. 

Nick’s eyes opened slowly and when he spotted Isaac standing just inside the room a mix of emotions flashed over his face and the room is flooded with chemo signals that made Isaac’s nose itch. That, the lingering smell of heroin, and whatever the doctors had been giving him was almost enough to hide the smell that screamed  _Nick_  underneath it all. 

“Hey,” Isaac said softly, not sure what else to say. He could smell fear, sadness, and longing coming from Nick. The sadness being the strongest now, and he could see Nick fighting to hold himself together. 

“I didn’t think you would come...” Nick said after a moment’s silence. His voice was that tone he used when he was scared but didn’t want it to show. Isaac was the only one that ever picked up on it. The slight quiver that came with his breath as he spoke.  

“I was worried about you,” Isaac said carefully. He felt like he was walking a minefield. He knew Nick remembered their fight. He could still feel a phantom itch in his hand from punching through his television after Nick left him for Gloria. Gloria and her easy access to money for all the drugs they wanted. Gloria who so easily manipulated him into giving up everything to waste away high and unaware. The thought of her made his fangs itch to come out. 

“I thought after...” Nick said warily before shaking his head. It was then that Isaac noticed he was strapped to the bed. “You said we were done, Isaac,” he said firmly, again with that damn quiver on the edge of his voice. 

“I did,” agreed Isaac with a small nod, studying Nick closely now. He listened, monitoring his heart as they spoke. “But that doesn’t change how I feel about you, Nick. You’re important to me,” he added slowly, watching how Nick reacted. 

Nick swallowed, the sadness and fear in his scent growing stronger, and he looked like he was about to cry. “Isaac, I’m scared,” he admitted in a small, quick voice. “I think I’m going crazy. I saw...” He licked his lips before continuing. “You said you can hear the difference in my heartbeat, right? If I’m talking about something I only saw because I was high and not something that was real? Something about my subconscious knowing what’s real when the rest of me doesn’t?” 

Isaac nodded, not liking the frightened tone with which Nick was speaking now. Whatever happened, he was really scared. Enough so that he wants Isaac to do something he’d asked him not to a million times. 

“I saw...  God, I saw Glo... But I think she went nuts, man. I swear she was eating one of the other junkies. She was... She was covered in blood, and there was like a pipe or something sticking out of her side like she’d been stabbed or something! And her eyes! Her eyes were all messed up and she just lunged at me!” Nick explained, giving Isaac a pleading look from his place on the hospital bed. “And before that! Before that, when I was coming down the stairs to look for her, there was a body! I swear it was like someone had ripped his throat out with their teeth! You have to believe me? Please, Isaac, I swear.. I... I...”   

Isaac listened for the little shift in the beat, the uptick of a fictional event being spun. When he didn’t catch one, his eyes widened and he stepped closer, coming to sit on the edge of Nick’s bed and place a careful hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Alright, Nick, alright. It’s okay,” he assures as he let his hand slide over Nick’s shoulder to where the hospital gown stopped just at the edge of his neck. He let his hand lightly rest on the skin there. He pulled Nick’s pain into himself, shocked at just how much there is. It was clear that he was on pain meds, but they weren't enough. Or maybe his fear was making it worse? 

“No, no it’s not,” Nick said as the first tears slipped down his cheeks. “I think I’m losing my mind, Isaac. Travis thinks it was the drugs, a nightmare, but I’ve never seen anything like that before. Never.” he insists. It was clear he was fighting to focus, even as he grew tired from Isaac taking away his pain. 

“I believe you.” Isaac said softly, his free hand coming up to cup Nick’s cheek and wipe away the tears there. He felt odd being this close to Nick. He’d been so mad at him. For giving up. For leaving with that woman. But seeing him like this, so scared, it was just like the night his dad died all over again. He’s just a scared young man in need of help. “Alright. But you need to calm down. I’ll make some calls. Go out to the church and take a look around. Would that help?” 

Nick nodded, his eyelids growing heavy as he started to calm down and struggle to stay awake. “I’m sorry...” he muttered before his eyes slipped shut and he sagged back against his pillow at last. 

Isaac carefully wiped the last few tears form Nick’s face and fought the urge to shed a few of his own. He didn’t like this one bit. Gloria was human. He could smell it plain as day. What the hell could have happened to her? 

Heaving a tired sigh, he allowed himself the small indulgence of running his fingers through Nick’s hair gently before leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together. He took a moment to steady himself, listening to Nicks slow, steady breaths and heartbeat. He wouldn’t forgive him for leaving, not yet, but he knows Nick is telling the truth. He saw something. 

With that in mind, he finally pulled away, giving the other man a last, sad look before standing and walking away. 

As he does, he sends a text to the three people he feels comfortable asking if they know anything that could help. Derek Hale, Scott McCall, and Chris Argent. 

~~~~~ 

It didn’t take long for Isaac to find the church. Madison had told him about it that afternoon when she called. By the time he had reached the building in question, he’d gotten texts back from two of the tree people he’d contacted. 

Derek said there were a few different creatures that could be responsible and that he’d been in South America visiting Cora, so he didn’t have access to the family bestiary. He said he’d contact Peter and have him get in touch. 

Chris said there were similar reports around and they were increasing at an alarming rate. He and the hunters he still kept in contact with were worried and don’t know much of anything yet. He promised to call Isaac as soon as he knew more. 

Scott didn’t answer, but he didn’t expect him to right away. He and Malia just had their first child a few weeks ago, a baby girl, and both of them had their hands full. 

Isaac parked down the street from the old, run-down, abandoned church, noting that there was no sign of Travis’ truck anywhere. The older man must have already been and gone, even though he only had – maybe – a twenty-minute head start on Isaac. He wasn’t sure if his lack of presence was a good or bad thing, but he shrugged it off and got out of his car. 

It was already dark, enough so that he was thankful for his enhanced senses. He could smell the blood before he even got inside. The heavy copper scent made his nose itch. He smelled a lot of things as he entered. Blood, dust, sweat, fear, the definite smell of death. It made his stomach sink, but he ignored it and chose to focus on his hearing instead. 

He heard a scattered few heartbeats of mice and such. A human outside on the other side of the building, his pulse fast as he mumbled to himself. Other than that, he didn’t hear much else. A piece of plastic over a broken window shifting with the wind. Wood creaking. 

When he made it to the Nave of the church, the scent of blood became the strongest, and he found a mess of it covering a large part of the floor behind some of the overturned benches. Enough that whoever it came from would be dead by now, given the sheer amount of it. He looked around, spotting what appeared to be bits of flesh in the mess, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck start to stand up. 

Looking around, he carefully avoided stepping in the gore and made his way over to a set of stairs. He could smell Nick, his scent lingering up in the balcony. His and that woman. He climbed slowly, nothing the smear and pool of blood in the stairs offshoot where he’s guessing Nick saw the other body and more blood on an old piano. He made a point of looking for any sign of other creatures having been there. He didn’t smell anything other than humans, rodents, and death. 

And heroin. 

He found the old mattress that Nick and Gloria had been sharing. The scent of death clung to the area, and he could instantly tell it was coming from the side Gloria slept on. There was also the faint lingering smell of vomit and bile near where he believes her head had been resting. 

He pulled out his phone, texting details to Derek and Chris. Maybe she overdosed and something took her body? It would explain the smell and the way Nick swore she looked and acted. He wasn’t sure though. He had shied away from learning more about the creatures out there when given the chance. He had some knowledge, but nothing compared to those in his old pack. 

Nobody replied right away, and Isaac decided he needed to get out of there. Immediately. The scent was overwhelming all of a sudden. Death and blood and Nick and that woman. It made him want to howl. He could feel his claws and fangs itching to come out as his anger rose. 

Nick could have been killed. That woman could have killed him. 

He let out a low growl, allowing his fangs and claws to come out as the anger overtook him. It was dark. No one was around. And even if someone stumbled in, odds were they’d be too high to think what they were seeing was real. He took a breath and tried to push down his anger. He hated being angry. Hated feeling like this.  

He gave in after another moment of straining his hearing. He heard dogs barking, people partying down the block, loud music in various buildings in the area, and nobody close enough that they would see him exit before any of them could get close enough to inspect. 

There, in the balcony of the old church, he let out a howl. Long and loud and full of all of his anger and pain. A mournful sound, almost. 

When he finished, he felt exhausted. Like all of the emotions had been bled out of him. And he felt his claws and fangs shift back a moment later. 

He was in his car, headed to his apartment before the shambling figure that had been lying in wait in a far-off room of the church even entered the Nave in search of her next meal. 

Nobody heard the screams as she sunk her teeth into the junkie that had come inside to try and figure out what had made that howling sound. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you all think so far? I'll be back in 2 weeks with the next chapter.


	3. Heart Stops Beating

The next morning Isaac still hadn’t heard from Chris Argent, which isn’t unusual if the man is meeting up with hunters. He never takes the phone he uses to contact Isaac or any of the other wolves from when he does such a thing. Just a precaution he always takes. He memorized all of their numbers ages ago, anyway. 

Derek doesn’t know of any creatures that would take over a corpse other than old legends about ghouls. But they don’t go after the living, and the few whispers he’s hears of the years indicate if they are still around that they’re near extinct at this point. So it doesn’t fit what Nick said about Gloria going after him and killing that other junkie in the church. 

Peter is apparently no help at the moment as he’s too busy playing the good grandfather and obsessing over baby Gracie. Which, given what had happened to the majority of his family in the past, Isaac can understand the desire to be close to her and his daughter and son-in-law. He doesn’t expect to hear from the older wolf after learning this bit of information. 

Scott did finally get back to him that morning before work, and he promised to call Stiles and have him put feelers out in the supernatural community on the East Coast, while he himself will go through all of the books Deaton has squirreled away at the clinic. The druid is out of town, but is due back in a week. 

It’s close to four in the afternoon when Isaac gets another call from Madison telling him that Nick escaped the hospital and they’re going to look for him. 

Isaac’s blood runs cold at that and he hangs up the call after stiffly saying that he’d look as well as soon as he can leave work. He hopes like hell that Nick went to his apartment like he always used to when he was scared. Back before the drugs were a factor. Before they broke up. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he knows Nick saw something, and he could be in danger. He feels in his gut that he  _is_  in danger. 

He goes through the rest of his shift on autopilot before finally closing the clinic for the evening at six and heading home as quickly as possible. 

Nick isn’t there. The spare key’s still in its hiding place and there’s no sign that the other man even tried to get in.  

In a blind flurry, Isaac changes out of his scrubs and into street clothes before heading right back out to search for the younger man on foot.  

He starts at the hospital and tries to catch even a hit of Nick’s scent lingering in the area. It’s stupid, he knows, but with Nick’s ankle injured he doesn’t imagine he could get too far. 

It’s nearly four am when he finally calls it a night and goes home with a deep feeling of dread settling heavy in his gut.  

Things in the city are crazy, far more sirens going off than normal that night as Isaac made his way. Chris still hasn’t contacted him. And Madison and Travis apparently only looked for a few hours before calling it quits. He’d seen Travis’ truck drive by a street he was walking around eight thirty and that was the only time their paths crossed. 

He doesn’t even get undressed before collapsing onto his bed and burying his face in Nick’s old pillow. The other man's scent is long gone, but he closes his eyes tight and imagines it’s still there as his mind drifts and sleep finally takes him. 

~~~~~ 

Isaac calls out of work the next day.  

He only got two hours of sleep and he’s running on worried energy and half a pop-tart. He couldn’t stomach any more than that.  

He got a text from Scott that morning saying that he and his family are going out to the new Hale House to stay with Peter so the older wolf can watch Gracie while he and Malia try and figure out what’s going on. Because things are escalating rapidly. There are reports of more attacks like what Nick saw with Gloria. Too many. And too wide spread. 

Derek texts that he tried to get a flight up to L.A. to come to help Isaac look for Nick as well as to do some research, but all planes are being grounded for some reason. Talk of a possible viral outbreak was making many people at the airport anxious and upset. And he’s hearing word of attacks down there as well. Cora wants them to go stay on her packs lands about half a days drive from Peru, just to be safe until things settle down.  

Chris is still MIA. Isaac calls and leaves him a voicemail relaying what he knows from Derek and Scott, and begging him to call as soon as he gets this message. 

He even personally calls Stiles, something he never does as they still tend to be more frenemies than friends, who’s currently between classes back in Boston, and a bit frantic as he speaks. He can’t find a magical reason behind whatever is happening, but the attacks are happening all over the East Coast as well, and he, Lydia, and Liam are all going to meet up in an hour and drive out of the city to stay at Lydia’s aunt’s cottage up in Maine. It’s a 3-hour drive, but it’s in a remote area that should be safe enough and the plan is to stay until things calm down and they can book a flight to California to meet up with the rest of the pack.  

Lydia texts him that she feels something big coming and that he needs to be careful. She apparently texted everyone from the pack this as well. She isn’t sure what’s coming, the whispers aren’t clear. She’s clearly scared though. A scared banshee isn’t a good omen at all. And that makes the dread Isaac is feeling all the stronger. 

He’s headed to the old church that afternoon to look for Nick when he gets a call from Travis. They’ve found Nick and brought him home. Things are bad. He won’t tell Isaac over the phone what’s happened, but Travis sounds shaken and wants them all to get together and get ready to leave the city. 

Isaac drives so fast he doesn’t even notice that there are no cops around on the way. 

By the time he makes it to the house, Travis and Madison are gone and he’s made it just in time to find Alicia and Nick on the floor as Nick has a seizure. She’s already got him on his side and is keeping him from seriously hurting himself as the worst of it comes to an end. 

“What happened?” He asks as he quickly kneels beside her and helps hold the other man steady. 

“We were arguing and then he threw up and started seizing,” Alicia said, fear clear in her voice as she watches Nick start to settle down at last. 

Nick is out of it for the next few minutes, and in that time Alicia goes to get a wet cloth to clean him up.  

Isaac takes the moment they have alone to drain away some of Nick’s pain.  

He’s never been able to do this when Nick was in full withdrawal before, and the shock of how intense it is as he pulls it into himself, well, it’s frightening, to say the least. And he knows this is only the beginning of it. 

He grits his teeth and draws away as much as he possibly can before he hears Alicia coming back. He lets go with a pained gasp just in time for Nick’s eyes to finally flutter open as awareness begins to return to him. He looks around, disoriented as Alicia kneels down and starts to wipe his face clean. “Wha?” He slurs. 

“Sssh. It’s okay. You're okay.” Isaac says, one hand gently rubbing Nick’s shoulder as the other slips under his head so he can lift it enough to help Alicia clean him up. 

“You had a seizure.” Alicia says, tone giving away how much anger she’s feeling. There’s also fear there, and Isaac doesn’t miss it. Even if he couldn’t smell it, her voice is clear enough. Maybe not to Nick, who’s disoriented and sluggish at the moment, but to him it’s there clear as day. 

Once his face is cleaned up, Isaac rolls Nick onto his back before picking him up, which he feigns having a little difficulty with, and getting him set up on the couch. Alicia is already gone when he turns around, and he hears her going through the cupboards in the kitchen, probably getting the cleaning supplies under the sink. 

“Isaac...” His tone gives away groggy is still is. “What are you doing here...?” he asks after a long pause, looking small and confused where he is curled up on the couch. 

“I...” He starts, mouth closing as he thinks. What the hell  _is_  he doing here? They broke up. He knows Nick is safe now. And yes, Travis wants him here, but he can take care of himself. He should be at home trying to get ahold of Chris and keeping in touch with the others while they try and figure out what the hell is going on. He doubts anything will happen to Nick now that he’s home. Much as he dislikes leaving him under Madison’s care as the woman has the habit of pushing Nick too far and triggering him when he should be resting and getting support to get through this. Shaking his head, he looks down at the confused younger man and gives him a tired smile. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” he finally settles on. 

He turns to walk away, but a hand is grabbing his wrist in a weak grip. He looks down and see’s that Nick’s eyes are clearer now. The after effects of the seizure and the massive pain drain wearing off. 

“Wait...” Nick says, voice a bit stronger. “Don’t go. Please...” there’s a note of fear to his voice, his heartbeat up-ticking as he looks like some realization has come to him. “Need to keep Alicia here... Please?” 

Isaac raises a brow and nods, remembering that she had been wearing her backpack when he came in and there had been a thermos on the floor by the entryway. He wants to point out she can take care of herself, but knowing what Nick saw and how crazy things seem to be getting, he has no doubt his fears are justified. 

He stays, helps Alicia clean up the carpet, promises her that he will go check on Matt for her before he goes home tonight as he lives just blocks away, but only if she’ll make some more soup for Nick before going and doing her homework. She tries to argue, insisting he has no right to tell her what to do, but eventually caves when he promises to be the one to take care of Nick until Madison gets home at the very least. 

That night Madison comes back with a bag of oxy for Nick, claiming it’s to help him detox since she couldn’t get his methadone. The smell of blood and death is on her clothes. When Isaac asks if she’s alright she gives him that look she did when he asked the same thing after her husband had died. It unsettles him. He can’t read what it means, and her scent isn’t giving much away other than anxiety and a hint of fading fear. 

He has to leave the room when Madison gives Nick two pills and he starts to crush them up. He can’t watch that. He just can’t. It makes him angry to just know what he’s going to do with them. He knows it’s to help him detox, he knows it. But it still fills him with a mix of anger, frustration, and sadness. 

He hears Madison on the phone with Travis as he stands in the kitchen and busies himself with filling empty bottles from the recycling with fresh water. He hears that Travis wants them to leave and that she wants to wait. He doesn’t know if they should or not, but he feels like they would all be safer together. 

They aren’t a pack, but they’re still safer in numbers than split apart. 

Then the power goes out.  

The neighbors are attacking each other out in the street.  

And Madison refuses to let them try to help. Isaac feels sick, he knows this isn’t right. But by now he’s seen the videos too. The news footage. And he knows he needs to protect Nick and his family. 

He can’t hear a heartbeat from the man attacking Mrs. Cruz on her lawn. 

Scared and unsure what this could mean, he calls Scott. Or, he tries to. The call won’t connect. 

He can hear screaming in the distance. Coming from different homes. Sounds like guttural growls and low moans. He hears it from the streets too. Where Mrs. Crus was being attacked, and other places as well. He tries calling Scott again and gets an automated message from his wireless company saying that Scott’s area is having issues with service. 

He calls Derek while Madison herds Nick and Alicia back into the living room, away from the chaos they see from the front door. 

“Isaac? Is everything alright?” Derek asks the moment the call is answered. 

Isaac shoots the humans in the living room a worried look before hurrying into the kitchen and out of earshot. “No, not even close. Derek I just saw someone get attacked. The guy had no heartbeat!” He hissed into the phone, trying to keep calm and keep is voice down so no one but another wolf could hear him. 

“What do you mean he had no heart beat?” Derek asks, shock clear in his voice. 

“Exactly that! I couldn’t hear one. I could hear Mrs. Cruz’s loud and clear before... Before... Just listen to me! Whatever this is we’re dealing with? Stiles said he can’t find a magical reason behind it, he asked every one of his contacts in Boston and the surrounding towns. He can’t find a supernatural reason for whatever is happening. If these things are, I don’t know, undead or something, then what the hell can we do?” 

The power comes back on a moment later and Madison starts going around to lower the lights as Isaac moves into the hall to be out of the way. 

“Where are you right now?” Derek asks, there’s a sound like he’s put Isaac on speaker phone and other voices are murmuring nearby. 

“I’m with Nick and his family. I tried to call Scott, but I got a message saying the services in his area is out.” He explains as he moves to peer out towards the living room. He can hear Nick grumbling that this isn’t enough oxy for him to detox properly, and Alicia is pacing back and forth. Madison is still making her way through the house shutting off lights and checking windows. “Have you heard from Chris? Last I knew he was going to meet up with some hunters to work on finding out what’s going on, but he hasn’t gotten back to me in a while.” 

“No, I haven’t, but I have the number for his other cell, I’ll give him a call after we hang up. Listen, I’m with Cora’s pack right now. They think the rumors I heard about a virus are true. If it is something like that then we should be safe where Stiles said he isn’t finding any supernatural causes, but we don’t know for sure. Especially now that you’re saying the people who are attacking others have no heartbeat.” 

Isaac swallows hard and fights the urge to let out a whine of distress. “What should I do. Derek, I won’t leave Nick and his family. But Scott...” a small whine escapes his lips at that. He feels an urge to go to his former alpha, one that’s not strong, but it’s there nonetheless. He feels a similar pull to Derek, but he knows Derek is currently safe with Cora and her pack. There’s at least thirty of them down there, after all. 

“Scott will be fine, he has the others there with him. Just like I know Stiles will be fine because he’s with Lydia and Liam. As long as none of us are alone we’ll get through whatever this is. You and Nick are a pack all your own. I know you’ll be alright as long as you’re together.” Derek assures, his words giving Isaac the comfort he needed in that moment. 

“His family doesn’t know...” He says with another glance towards the living room. He feels worried at the realization that he might have to really fight to protect them. Nick knows what he is. What he can do. But Madison, Alicia and Travis? They have no idea. And Travis was bringing his son Chris and ex-wife Liza with him. He doesn’t know Liza at all and Chris always ignored him the few times the met. He doesn’t know how they would react. 

“Isaac, you’re stronger than you think. Always remember that. If they find out who you really are and can’t handle it, that’s on them. But they’ve known you for years, I think they’ll be able to roll with it if the truth comes out.”  

Isaac heaves a sigh and runs his free hand through his hair. Derek has gotten a lot better at this over the years. It makes him miss having him as his alpha in moments like this. The moments when he resembles the man who found him scared and alone and offered him a way to protect himself before the power went to his head and things went sideways from the looming threats back then. 

“You’re right. Look, I need to go. Call me if you hear anything from Scott or Chris.”  

“I promise, I will. And Isaac, be careful.” Derek says as his final words. 

“You too.” He says just after hearing Cora give the same sentiment and ending the call. He’s still scared and worried. But he feels better having spoken to Derek. Being able to voice his fears and getting the assurance he needed allows him to center and calm himself. 

With that, he makes his way out to the living room and takes a seat on the far end of the couch to watch Nick and the others as they start a game of monopoly. 

For a little while, everything going on outside those four walls is pushed out of Isaac’s mind and he focuses on the people around him and how he can stick with them and keep them safe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, so, I'm attempting to stick to a schedule of posting every few weeks. You can go to my blog to find out update schedules and such.  
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please feel free to ask questions or leave comments<3


	4. Bloody Hell and Shotgun Shells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you all enjoy reading it <3

Isaac hears the dog outside the house long before it starts scratching at the back door. He tries to tell Nick not to go take a look, just like Madison does. He knows what it is, and Nick knows he does, but the younger man is apparently feeling spiteful towards him and his mother at the moment and goes to inspect anyway.

The instant the door is slid open Isaac smells the blood on the dog's fur. It’s fresh, and has the scent of death is mixed with it, though the blood isn’t the source of it. Whatever shed it is.

The dog is clearly afraid, its heartbeat raised. But for a moment it calms as Nick pet’s it and says speaks softly.

“I don’t think that’s his blood.” Nick says when Alicia starts to ask if the dog is hurt.

There’s a soft groan from out front of the house, the dog hears it at the same time as Isaac and the canine bolts for the front door barking. Isaac takes off after it, only needed a moment to get ahead of the dog and flash the golden glow of his eyes to make the animal stop barking and submit.

Nick, Alicia, and Madison make it to them just after he’s let his eyes return to normal and he acts like he’s simply using his skills as a vet to get the dog to settle as he kneels down and puts his hands on the animal to hold it back from the door.

Nick steps past the both of them, looking through the blinds to see what the dog must have been barking at. He sees what Isaac hears, one of those things, standing out on the street in front of their house. He spins around and starts towards the back door again. “Okay, the Tran’s have a gun. A shotgun. I tried to steal it once.” he says quickly as he hobbles towards the hall.

Madison is hot on his heel as she speaks. “Okay, Alicia, Isaac, stay close, don’t stop!”

“Wait!” Isaac protests, voice sharp and loud, making them all turn towards him. He stands up, shoulders squared and expression serious as he steps around the still placated dog and tries to come off as more authoritative than he feels. “Nick and I will go. The doors are locked and my med kit I carry for field visits is in the kitchen. It’s got scalpels and a small bone hammer and chisel in it. Grab those and wait by the back door for us to get back.”

Madison studies him a moment, looking like she’s about to argue before she nods and holds out her flashlight for Isaac to take. “Go, quickly.” she urges.

Isaac takes the light and nods before walking past and leading Nick out the back door. He makes sure it’s closed and Madison has locked it again before they quickly move to scale the fence that separates the Tran’s yard from the Clark’s.

“Come on, come on,” Nick says as he takes lead going over the fence. “Follow me.”

Isaac resists the urge to roll his eyes as he follows Nick through the maze-like lattice structures that Mrs. Tran has set up to grow her flowers and herbs.

“You called them, right?” Nick asks as they move along. “Your old pack? Do they know what this is? Do you know how we can stop it?”

Isaac hesitates for a moment as they finally step out into the open, before quickly catching up to Nick. “They don’t know, but they’re working on it. Everyone is. Stiles, Derek, Scott, Chris. We just need to stick together and hold on for now.” he says honestly as he watches Nick open the back door of the little house.

“Aunt Su-su! Are you home?” Nick calls out before giving Isaac a look like he doesn’t like what Isaac has told him one bit.

Isaac grabs Nick’s arm to hold him back from entering the house all the way. He listens for any sounds. Signs of movement. When there are none he lets Nick go and they head inside quickly.

“This way,” Nick says, leading Isaac through the rooms expertly. As the reach a doorway the lights flicker on and the both of them pause to blink the sudden brightness before continuing.

Isaac can pick up the hint of gun oil in the air the moment they’re in the room and he pushes past Nick to open the closet. He finds the shotgun in a zippered bag in the bottom and hands it to Nick before following the scent of gun powder to two boxes of shells in different corners of the shelf above.

“Are there any more?” Nick asks as he unzips the bag and starts to pull out the shotgun.

“No, these are it.” Isaac says as he crouches down beside Nick and pulls some shells out of the box to load into the gun. “Have you ever even fired a gun before?”

“No, have you?”

Isaac can’t help but snort. “I have. Let me take it, you know I'll have better aim than anyone else would.” he tries not to let his tone come off as cocky, he really does. It’s a dangerous situation, and he’s taking it seriously. But old habits die hard and the urge to be snarky when he’s stressed is still there.

Nick shakes his head with a smirk on his lips as he takes the shells from Isaacs hand and loads the gun. “Really? You think us humans can’t hand it.” Nick snarks back, tone teasing despite the stressful situation.

“Far from it, I know you can. But being able to handle yourself doesn’t mean I don’t want to protect my pack any less.” He finds himself saying before he can stop the words leaving his mouth.

Nick stares at Isaac a moment, his expression a mix of amusement and something akin to hope.

Before either of them can say anything else they hear Travis’ truck coming and realize he’ll be pulling up to the house while one of those people, one of those things, whatever they are, is right outside where it can get him and his family.

They both run, Nick carrying the shotgun and Isaac stuffing the rest of the shells in his pockets before he reaches the back door and throws it open. He takes off faster than Nick can possibly keep up. He knows the other man understands. He can get to Travis and the others faster.

He’s already over the fence as Travis is turning to pull into the driveway and he runs around the house and straight for the driveway. He rounds the corner just in time to skid to a stop in front of Travis as he’s exiting his truck.

“Wait!” He shouts, chest heaving from the little burst of exertion. “Wait! One of those things...” he begins, realizing he can’t hear it in front of the house anymore.

“One of those things what? What is it Isaac? Is everyone okay?” Travis asks in a rush. Liza is climbing out of the truck now, Chris in toe, and there are three people he doesn’t recognize in the back of the truck bed with the smell of smoke and blood clinging to them all.

“Fine. They’re fine. Nick and I went to get the gun Mr. Tran keeps in his closet. One of those things was coming towards the house but-”

He’s cut off by a shout from Nick and the sound of the shotgun being fired.

Isaac and Travis both take off towards the back yard. He’s sure others are following, but he doesn’t slow down. He can still hear Nick’s heartbeat. It’s fast but still going and he focuses on it as he rounds the corner to find Nick sitting on the ground, the shotgun to his right and his mom and Alicia kneeling around him.

Their former neighbor's corpse lays on the ground a few feet away. Part of his head blown away where Nick shot him.

Isaac collapses to his knees next to Nick. He’s so relieved that he’s safe. That they’re all safe. He doesn’t even hear Madison and Travis talking as he pulls Nick against his chest and buries his face in the other man’s hair. He needs to be close to him right now. Anger and hurt and fears be damned.

Nick wraps his arms around Isaac’s waist and it’s clear he’s trying to stay calm even as he presses his face into Isaac’s chest and pulls him closer for comfort. Trying not to shake. It’s from adrenaline. Only a little of it fear based. Isaac can smell it along with the underlying scent of Nick. Musky and a little sour, but not in a bad way, kind of like some citrus fruit.

The world around him comes back into focus a moment later and Isaac can hear that Travis and the others are all talking. Arguing about if they should leave now or wait until morning.

“I have people out front that need help,” Travis argues. “They saved us in the city and the wife is hurt. And besides the roads are a mess right now. We should wait until morning.”

“Were packed and ready to go, Travis! We’ve just been waiting on you!” Madison argues right back, all fire and irritation. She’s never liked anyone arguing against her decisions, and this situation is no exception.

Isaac doesn’t need to look to know she’s angry, near furious. He can smell hints of it on the wind, even with his nose still buried in Nick’s hair.

“Can we talk about this someplace else?” Travis pleads before turning to where Isaac and Nick are still on the ground holding each other tight as their feelings calm and settle. He clears his throat, and when Isaac finally picks his head up to look at the older man, he speaks. “Isaac, can you go give our guests a hand getting inside?”

Nodding, Isaac notices the man who had been in the back of the truck is standing at the corner of the house watching them. He hesitates only a moment before letting go of Nick, who looks away from him without a word and walking over to the man.

“Hi,” Isaac says awkwardly as he approaches. “I’m Isaac. Isaac Lahey.” He adds as he offers his hand in greeting.

The man eyes him suspiciously before taking the hand and giving it one strong shake. “Daniel Salazar,” he says curtly in a heavy accent before turning and heading back towards the driveway.

Isaac follows along, wondering if the man’s tension is due to the events unfolding around them, or the fact that he saw Isaac in a rather intimate looking embrace with another man just now. Either way, he can smell the irritation rolling off the older man as they make their way to Travis’ truck.

There is a young woman that’s maybe five or six years older than Isaac waiting there, and an older woman who is likely her mother, who’s leg is clearly injured.

He worries it’s a bite or some other injury inflicted by one of the seemingly undead beings, but as he picks the woman up, much to her husband's annoyance, he sees that it’s a crush injury of some kind.

The woman in his arms mumbles something in Spanish that he doesn’t catch, but it makes her daughter laugh and her husband glare at Isaac hard enough that he feels like he would burst into flames if it were possible. He ignores the look and carefully carries the injured woman to the front door.

Alicia has it open and waiting for them, and she lets the lot of them inside before locking up behind them.

Once the woman, Griselda, is set gently up on the couch Isaac heads to the kitchen to retrieve his medical kit. He drained a little of her pain as they walked, but he knows it wasn’t enough and that the liquid painkillers he has for the animals he treats will have to do the trick for now.

“Do you have anything I can give her for the pain?” Liza asks from the living room. The question is directed at Travis and Madison.

A moment later Isaac is walking in with the messenger bag style veterinary field kit slung over his shoulder. “I have meloxicam and carprofen,” he informs as he enters the room.

All eyes turn to Isaac at that.

“I’ve never heard of these medicines,” Daniel says, eyeing Isaac as if he’s trying to sell him snake oil.

“That’s because they’re used on animals primarily. They’re derived from morphine, and just as effective on humans if you know how to calculate the dosage.” Isaac explains as he sets his bag on the coffee table and comes to kneel by the couch. “Ma’am can you tell me how much you weigh?”

Daniel scoffs. “I’m not letting a veterinarian that’s barely old enough to shave give my wife medication for dogs!.”

“You aren’t, you’re letting a veterinarian who runs his own practice and a nurse with many years' experience give your wife the medication she needs to be comfortable until you can get her to a proper doctor.” Liza cuts in, giving a stern look that even makes Isaac feel like he should cower a little.

With a huff, Daniel throws his hands up and mutters something under his breath before nodding. “Fine, fine.”

Once Mrs. Salazar has been given a hefty dose of painkillers and Liza has been given access to the supplies in his kit to sterilize and wrap her wound, Isaac and Nick leave the room to ready a bed for the injured woman while the others talk and bicker.

“Why didn’t you mention having those earlier when I was getting bad?” Nick asks in a quiet tone as they move down the hall towards the guest bedroom.

“They aren’t strong enough for what you need them for,” Isaac says, hoping Nick doesn’t catch that he’s lying. He had hoped to keep the pain meds a secret. Something for an emergency later on if need be.

“That’s fair,” Nick says easily. Clearly not fully believing him as they enter the room and start getting blankets and sheets out of the closet to get set up.

They work in silence for a few minutes, taking their time getting the pillows in fresh cases and such, before Nick speaks again.

“Before... When we were in the back yard. You...” He pauses and licks his lips before looking at Isaac with a bit of confusion and worry. “I know you’re still mad at me. I can feel it. And you have every right to be... but... But I want you to know that I really am sorry. For the way things went down. And for putting you in this position.”

Isaac studies him as he speaks, taking the words in and trying not to listen to Nick’s heartbeat. He can’t help it though, and there’s no lie hidden there. He swallows and nods instead of replying. Not sure he can trust himself not to either say something crass and snarky, or stupid like “I miss you, please come back to me.”.

He isn’t there yet. Isn’t ready to forgive Nick for giving up on years of trust and understanding all for a shot of oblivion and the arms of a woman who only used him so she wouldn’t be alone all the time.

“Isaac...” Nick says, breaking the silence again. “Will you stay with me tonight?”

He considers it. Considers going home instead and getting a few hours peace and space before leaving town with them in the morning. And then he considers the possibility that they won’t wait for him if he does so. Madison is angry. She doesn’t want to wait around for anyone anymore. And as much as he dislikes her at times, and as much as she claims to love him, he doesn’t want to risk her ire or her leaving him behind.

He looks up a moment later, meeting Nick’s eyes, and nods again. “Yeah, I’ll stay with you.”

Nick smiles, the relief he’s feeling evident in the way his whole body relaxes. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun Dun Duuuun. What do you all think so far? How do you feel about Isaac and Nick's relationship? I love hearing from you all <3 so hope to soon.


	5. Throw Away The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to post a day early since I have work tomorrow. Hope you all enjoy, I really liked writing this chapter.

Isaac wakes up the next morning so warm that for a moment he thinks he’s fallen asleep under the electric blanket Mrs. McCall always kept on the back of the couch in winter.  

It only takes a moment to remember that it’s been years since he last slept at the McCall house. And that the heat he’s feeling is radiating off of Nick, who rolled over and snuggled up against him in his sleep. He’s got his head on Isaac’s shoulder, an arm across his waist, and a leg hitched up over Isaac’s own leg. 

He’s running a fever. Isaac doesn’t need to be a wolf or a vet to know it. And he lets a hand slip under the too warm blanket to settle on Nick’s wrist. His whole body tenses and locks up for a moment at the rush of pain he feels as he starts to draw it from Nick’s body. The fact that the younger man can be asleep while feeling like this is unsettling, and he draws it away until he’s left gasping and having to let go for fear of passing out from the intensity of it. 

Nick, who had been shivering a little from the fever, lets out a soft sigh in his sleep and snuggles closer as his trembling stops. 

Isaac kicks the blankets away from his legs then and breathes a relieved sigh of his own as he feels his body start to regulate its temperature a bit better. 

He can tell that Nick’s fever has broken from what he’s just done, and he’s glad for it, as he knows the pills Madison got won’t be enough. She may think they are, but he knows she’s planning to leave half for Griselda. And furthermore, they aren’t methadone. They aren’t what Nick actually  _needs_. 

Nick mumbles something in his sleep that pulls Isaac from that train of thought. He tilts his head, bringing his nose close to Nick’s hair, and lets himself get lost in the way Nick smells. How they smell together. He’s missed this. So much. And even though he feels better than he has in weeks just by waking up next to the younger man, he knows things aren’t magically better after one night spent side by side. Nick still left him. He still has a long way to go to recover. And even though he apologized, Isaac isn’t ready to forgive him yet. 

That thought is sobering enough to make Isaac roll his head back and look up at the ceiling. There’s barely any light peeking through the edges of the curtain, the room still dark enough that he knows were he not a wolf, he wouldn’t see anything at the moment but darkness. 

Hearing someone in the kitchen making a pot of coffee, he slowly extracts himself from Nick’s embrace and maneuvers him so he’s clutching Isaac’s pillow instead of being left with empty arms. He pauses long enough to brush the hair from the younger mans face gently before slipping out of the room without a sound. 

Once in the hallway it’s easy to recognize who’s in the kitchen. Madison has a light step and a strong heartbeat. Easy to differentiate from the others in the house.  

Stepping into the kitchen, Madison gives Isaac a tired but fond smile that he returns easily. She always makes him feel oddly wary, but he knows she does care about him in her own way. 

“Morning, sweetheart.” she greets as she holds out the cup of coffee, that she had obviously been filling for herself, in offering. 

He accepts it without hesitation, knowing she’ll just give him grief if he doesn’t. “Morning, Ma.” He greets in turn. The nickname is more teasing than an endearment. He doesn’t consider her anything close to another mother, but he knows she sees herself as one to him regardless. “Surprised you’re up this early.” 

Madison snorts at that as she pours another cup for herself. “With everything going on I’m amazed I slept a wink,” she notes as she turns to lean with her hip against the counter as she faces him. “You, on the other hand? I’m surprised you’re up. I saw you slept in Nick’s room last night.”  

Isaac eyes her warily as he takes a sip of his coffee. She smells amused, but also annoyed; the combination of scents makes his nose itch. “I did,” he concedes carefully while turning to grab the milk from the fridge. She always brews the coffee too damn strong. “He asked me to stay in with him. With everything going on I figured it was a good idea.” 

When he turns back Madison is studying him like she’s looking for some kind of lie in his words. 

“I haven’t forgiven him,” he adds softly after a moments silence. “I’m not over what he did. I don’t know if I’ll ever be over it. But I still love him, Madison. I’m not gonna let him suffer when I can do something about it.” He’s put up with a lot of pain in his life, a lot of loss. Madison knows about his parents and brother. Knows he was never able to find the family he learned about when he turned 18. And she knows he has a hard time letting people get close in part because of all of that. 

That apparently was what she wanted to hear, as the relief is evident on her face. “Good. He hurt you. I wouldn’t be so quick to forgive either if I were in your shoes. But I’m glad you’re still there for him despite all that. He’s gonna have a rough go of it for a while, and I know having you with him will help. Just don’t let him guilt you into getting back together if it’s not what you want or are ready for.” 

Isaac can’t help but smile at that. He always thought should something happen between him and Nick that she would take Nick’s side no matter the situation. Knowing she thinks Nick was an ass is a bit strange, but also a bit reassuring. 

They end up sitting at the kitchen table as the rest of the house comes to life around them. Madison doesn’t want to cook for the people she considers unwanted guests, so Isaac does, even after Travis tries to insist that he can do it when he joins them in the kitchen not long after. It helps ground him against the feeling of unease that’s swirling inside him. They’re leaving for the desert soon, and he has a feeling something will go wrong. 

~~~~~ 

It’s later, when they’re getting ready to leave, that Isaac hears vehicles in the distance. Large ones. He hopes that they’re on their way to the city. To try and stop what’s happening. 

It isn’t until they’ve all gotten turned around because Mr. Tran’s just come home and about to be attacked by his wife, who had wandered out into the back yard during the night thanks to them leaving the kitchen door open, that he learns how wrong he was. 

The military is there. 

Telling everyone to stay in their homes and that they will be kept safe. 

He doesn’t like it. 

They talk of erecting a fence. Keeping the infected out and the rest of them in. He can hear the heavy chain rattling as it’s unloaded from the trucks they’ve brought. He hears shouting all around, more chains clanking and metal scraping and... And it’s like his back in the freezer. Young and scared and screaming for help until he can’t breathe because the airs become too thick even with the few holes in the top. 

He doesn’t even realize he’s starting to hyperventilate until Nick is dragging him into the house and away from the others. He catches a glimpse of Tavis giving him a concerned look, but it doesn’t really register. His skin is too tight. He feels cold. He doesn’t notice he’s been dragged into Nick’s old room and pushed to sit on the bed. 

“Isaac!” Nick suddenly shouts in his face as he grabs either side of it and forces his gaze on him. “You need to calm down, man. Can you do that for me?” 

Isaac blinks owlishly, still feeling too cold and lost to really know what Nick is saying to him. Can’t really hear over the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears and the gasping breaths leaving his body. He feels the cold walls of the old freezer around him, the phantom arch in his fingers and hands from punching and clawing in an attempt to break free. 

“Relax. Okay. You’re safe. You’re safe,” Nick starts to repeat to him as he lets one hand slip from Isaac’s face down to grab one of his hands and place it over his heart. “That’s it, just breathe. You’re safe. It’s alright.” 

Nick’s heartbeat is steady under Isaac’s palm and the way his chest moves as he breathes queues Isaac in on how he needs to slow his own breathing. It only takes him a few deep breaths before he’s comes back to himself enough to train his hearing on Nick’s heartbeat. 

He lets his eyes slip closed as he listens and feels the steady beat. He’s alright. He’s safe. He’s with Nick. That fucking freezer was destroyed years ago. The house was sold and demolished to build a new one. No one’s going to lock him up. 

“That’s it. Good. You’re doing so good, babe,” Nick says as he wipes tears from Isaac’s cheeks. “Can you open your eyes now?” 

Isaac does so, blinking a few times to clear away the last of the tears he hadn’t noticed before meeting Nick’s concerned gaze. “Sorry...” he croaks, voice suddenly hard to find as his throat appears to have closed up like it used to when he was afraid to make a sound and risk a beating from his father. 

“Hey, don’t be sorry,” Nick shushes. “I get it, okay? I get it.” 

A knock at the door causes the both of them to look over.  

Travis is standing in the doorway, that concerned look from before still on his face. “Isaac, are you alright?” 

Isaac opens his mouth to answer, but his voice is still refusing to cooperate. He turns to Nick and nods, knowing he’ll handle explaining what just happened. 

“Yeah, he’s alright. He’s kind of claustrophobic. The soldiers talking about fencing us in freaked him out,” Nick explains easily. It’s not a lie, but not the full truth. 

Travis seems to gather as much and continues to look concerned. “Alright,” he says before running a hand over his face and looking to Isaac again. “I asked if they would let any of us go get anything from outside of the neighborhood before the fence is put up but they said no. I’m gonna go through my things and see if I have some clothes that will fit you since it’ll be a while before anyone can leave the neighborhood.” 

Isaac scrunches his face in confusion before shaking his head. “No, uh..” he coughs to clear his throat before speaking again, hating the way he sounds after an attack. “I’ve got a duffle full in my car. Packed it the other day when things started to bad in the city.” It’s also a lie. He always has that bag in there, along with enough cash under the spare tire to get him halfway across the country before he’d run out. A little tip he’d been given by Derek a while back. Even if you feel safe, have a backup plan to get away. 

“Alright, then.” Travis says, giving them both a reassuring smile. “I’m going to go see if I can get Madison to calm down.” 

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Nick huffs under his breath as the older man walks away. He turns back to Isaac with a somewhat wry smirk on his lips now. “Looks like you’re stuck with us.” 

A smirk of his own forms on Isaac’s lips. “Lucky you,” he says, and when Nick opens his mouth to ask what he means by that Isaac lets a hand wrap around one of Nick’s wrists and starts to take away his pain again. 

A small gasp escapes Nick’s lips, and he bites the lower one as he watches the black lines move up Isaac’s skin of his arm. 

Again, Isaac draws enough away that he has to draw a ragged breath after and close his eyes as he waits for the pain to eb away. 

“Isaac...” Nick murmurs 

He slowly opens his eyes and glances up at Nick, who looks ready to fall asleep where he stands. “Why do you keep doing that?” 

“There aren’t enough pills for both you and Griselda. I don’t want either of you to suffer, and I don’t want your mother thinking you’re just trying to get high every time you ask her for more of them,” he explains, going for the honest answer here. He can’t do much to help. He isn’t a doctor, and he knows Daniel won’t let him even try to do anything for his wife’s foot beyond what he already has. At least with Nick he knows he can help. 

Nick studies him almost warily for a moment before he’s smiling again. “Yeah? Okay.” 

“BOYS! COME HELP US UNLOAD THE CAR!” Madison yells from somewhere down the hall. 

They trade looks of annoyance before giving in and doing as they’re told. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I make no apologies for triggering Isaac here. Boy has triggers and like hell I'm gonna ignore them in this angst fest.
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear what you think <3


	6. Lies by Omission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Things are starting to get good ;)

A week into the  _State of_ _Emergency_  Isaac is ready to jump the damn fence. Instead, he settles for going on morning jogs with Travis. He hadn’t really gotten to know the older man before all of this. He likes him. He’s honest and patient, and way too nice for Madison, who often is curt and standoffish with him over his good nature. 

Isaac keeps his head down mostly. He knows he can be snarky and an ass more often than not. So, he’s doing is best to stay quiet and unassuming. Better to keep attention away from him. Alicia and Madison have noticed the change in demeanor, obviously, and as far as he can tell they think it’s because of being around Nick so much after their big fight and Nick leaving him for that woman and her drugs.  

Nick knows what it’s really about. If he plays up the quiet, soft-spoken veterinarian card, no one will bother him. Sure, he’s over six feet tall and obviously strong as he’s carried Griselda around the house and helped move some of the furniture around without breaking a sweat, but the thing is that he spent most of his childhood and teenage years making himself look as unassuming and meek as possible in the hopes of being ignored. It’s not something you forget how to do. 

It’s not likely a situation will arise around the military where his secret can be revealed, but he still tries to be as unassuming as possible so as not to draw their notices.  

“You’re looking kind of tired, maybe you should head home?” Travis says as he slows down to let Isaac catch up. 

He isn’t tired. He’s acting like he is. He could run for miles after Travis is done for the morning and not be phased. “Yeah...” He huffs instead. “I’ll see you back there.” 

Travis nods and with that, they break apart and Isaac picks up his pace. It’s getting to be about that time of morning when the oxy Madison gave Nick is wearing off, and he’ll require another pain drain. Nick’s almost past it. The last of the aches and other side effects fading. It’s a relief. He wasn’t sure they could do it with just a handful of oxy and his supernatural ability to take away a person’s pain. It seems to have just done the trick. 

He waves to Travis’ son Chris where he’s sitting on the roof with his camcorder, and he can hear Nick in the pool as he jogs up.  

Nick’s been feeling well enough to actually enjoy things again. Really enjoy them. Like his moms cooking and the feel of the sun and cool water of the little backyard pool. 

“Hey, you’re back!” Nick calls from where he’s lying on a floating chair. “Hop in.” 

Isaac snorts at that, but he’s already kicking off his running shoes and pulling his shirt over his head. It’s hot today. Enough so that he’s sure most of those soldiers are gonna melt in their damn combat gear. He almost feels sorry for them. 

He hops in once he’s down to just his shorts, and makes a point of splashing Nick as he does so.  

Nick just laughs before slipping off the float and coming over to hang out on the edge of the pool beside Isaac. “Good run?” he asks sweetly. 

Isaac tries not to roll his eyes. Ever since Nick’s been feeling better he’s been flirting like he always used to. He doesn’t push, though, which Isaac is thankful for. Things are slowly mending between them, but he isn’t ready for them to do anything beyond sleeping in the same bed yet. Trust takes time to rebuild, after all. 

“Could’ve been better. The whole Berlin Wall thing they have going on out there puts a damper on it though,” Isaac says with a smirk before he lets a hand reach for Nick below the surface of the water. To anyone in the house it looks like Nick is just hanging out with his arms crossed over the side while Isaac treads water next to him, the angle blocking the way Isaac’s hand is resting on Nick’s lower back as he drains away the minor body aches that Nick is feeling now that the oxy he had with breakfast is wearing off. 

“Thanks,” Nick murmurs as his eyes slip closed and he breathes a sigh of relief. “I’m almost over it, I think.” 

Isaac hums his agreement before taking his hand away and mirroring Nick’s pose on the edge of the pool. They stay like that for a while, listening to the relative silence that had fallen. No cars, no planes, no hum of electricity. 

The peace and quiet are eventually broken by the door being slid open and Madison walking out with a pill in hand. “Come on, Nick,” she says, kneeling down and offering the little white tablet. 

“No thanks,” He says as he squints up at her. “I’m good. Give it to Griselda.” 

Isaac can smell the shift in Madison’s scent. The spike of concern and a hint of anger. She thinks he’s up to something. Before she can argue Isaac speaks up. “Don’t try to play tough just because you’re worried about Griselda, Nick. At least take half of it and don’t argue.” 

Nick shoot’s him a confused glance before recognizing Isaac’s ‘I’m not kidding, do it now’ face, and he nods before looking to his mom with a shy smile. “If I take half will you make sure she gets the other?” 

Madison looks taken aback a moment before nodding and breaking the pull in half. “You’re sure you’re okay with just half? The whole point is to ween you off slowly, so this doesn’t happen again.” 

Nick nods before popping the half a pill and downing it easily. “I’m feeling much better,” he says honestly. “And you know Isaac is keeping an eye on me. He won’t let me do anything stupid.” 

Madison still looks annoyed, despite Isaac’s assurance that he’s keeping an eye on Nick and will let her know if he’s lying about being okay. She goes back into the house without any further protest. 

“Dude, I didn’t need that,” Nick says with an annoyed look to the wolf as soon as his mother is gone. 

“Nick, as strung out as you were you would have needed to be on methadone for at least 10 days this time. We both know that Oxy is nowhere near as effective and it’s only been nine days. And you know how suspicious your mom gets, it’s not like we can tell her?  _Don’t worry Madison, I used my abilities as a werewolf to get Nick through the worst of his withdrawals._  Take the half pills the rest of the day, and by tomorrow she’ll be fine with you stopping completely.” 

Nick considers his words for a long moment before nodding and casting Isaac a wary glance. “You know, you really should have considered becoming a lawyer or something. Your talents are wasted on being a vet.” Isaac snorts at that. “I’ll take sick animals and scrubs over working in an office and wearing a suit any day,” he says with a mock shudder. 

With that Nick pushes away from the wall and Isaac watches as he dives below the surface and starts swimming around a bit. 

Straining his hearing, Isaac can just hear the military down the street. They’re talking about how the area is free of infected for a six-mile radius. He finds that hard to believe. He could hear groans and scratching inside buildings outside the fence as he jogged by with Travis. 

He tunes them out after that, knowing most of what’s being said is probably bullshit and that Travis and the others will fill them in when they get back. Eventually, he ends up swimming a few circles around Nick before hopping out and lying down beside the pool to let the sun dry him off. He dozes off not even five minutes later. 

~~~~~ 

The next day starts much the same as the last.  

Wake up. 

Have coffee. 

Go for a run. 

He knows one of their neighbors ran off last night. He makes a point of listening for him as he runs the fence, but he hears nothing. 

After that he doesn’t feel much like running anymore, his mood soured by the dirty looks he gets from a few soldiers. So, he heads back just in time to join Nick for another swim in the back yard before a woman claiming to be a doctor shows up. 

He can hear her inside talking with Liza about how she’s been helping Griselda. They have a hospital set up nearby, and they’re going to take the injured woman there soon to help her. He breathes a sigh of relief at that, but then he hears the woman lie as she tells Daniel he can go with her.  

Nick’s name comes up after that and he’s up and out of the pool before he knows what he’s doing. 

Nick’s currently napping on one of the lounge chairs, his jacket thrown over his head to block out the sun. 

“Nick,” He hisses softly as he shakes the younger man's shoulder. “Nick, wake up.” 

“Huh, what is it?” he asks blearily as Isaac pulls the jacket off him. 

“Nick there’s a woman coming from the government. If she asks how you’re feeling don’t lie, tell her you’re fine. There’s something not right about her, don’t trust her,” He says in a rush before the back door slides open and Liza and the other woman are walking towards them. 

“Nick, Isaac,” Liza greets when she spots them. “This is Dr. Exner.”  

Both men squint up at her, trying to seem friendly and a little surprised. 

“Hi,” Nick says easily. 

Isaac simply nods instead of speaking. 

The doctor addresses Nick when she peaks, ignoring Isaac. “I understand you may be in need of methadone.” 

Nick huffs a laugh at that and gives one of his more charming smiles.  

Isaac coughs instead of growling like his instincts tell him to.  

“Well, I would love methadone if I was trying to kick, which I’ve already done,” he says confidently as the doctor shines a light in his eyes to check his pupils. 

“When was the last time you used?” 

“Uh, I don’t know. When did the world end? Couple of days before that,” he counters, trying to sound bored. 

Isaac can smell that Nick is anxious. And he can smell that the doctor is frustrated. He doesn’t like it. 

“I’ve been monitoring him, he’s doing good.” Isaac chimes in and gets a strange look from the doctor. 

“Are you a doctor?” She asks, eyeing him suspiciously. 

“Veterinarian,” he clarifies, hoping his tone doesn’t give away how annoyed he’s getting himself. “But I’ve been with Nick the other times he’s detoxed. I know what to look for.” 

She hums at that and turns back to Nick, going to listen to his heart now, which Isaac knows is beating faster than normal from his anxiety.  

Just then Travis walks up, looking a little confused himself. “What’s this?” He asks, noticing that Isaac looks unimpressed as the doctor continues to check Nick out. 

“Overdue house calls. I’m Dr. Exner,” the brunette says. 

“Oh, I’m Travis. Can’t tell you how happy we are to see you,” He says honestly and Isaac wants to growl the man into submission. “Um, is something wrong with Nick?” He asks after a beat, and Isaac wants to thank him for it. 

“No, I’m fine,” Nick bemoans as he watches Travis walk around them towards the garage. ”But your ex-wife, man, she’s a narc. Told this lady I was the neighborhood dope fiend.” 

The doctor just ignores them and continues to check Nick out. Next, she takes is temperature and on a whim Isaac coughs again, this time making it sound a bit rougher. She shoots him a wary look before speaking. “98.6. I’m going to check your blood pressure.” 

Travis is back then, standing beside Liza. “So, are you the one who decides who goes to this facility?” 

“Well, I have some help, but, yes,” she concedes, focus on getting the blood pressure cuff around Nick’s arm then. 

“Like Doug Tompskin?” Travis probes. Isaac shoots him a glance then. That's the neighbor who wasn’t doing so well and went missing last night. 

“I can’t discuss other patients,” she says curtly. 

There’s a lie there and Isaac here’s it clear as a bell. He inches closer to Nick on instinct, his hand creeping up on the edge of the chair to wrap around Nicks. The other man curls their fingers together without even looking. The doctor notices though. 

“Excuse him, he worries about everyone else,” Liza says, shooting her ex a glare before turning to fully face him. “Your friend is in good hands. Just like Hector Ramirez. Just like Griselda will be.” 

Nick looks up at that bit of information, concern evident on his face. He’d been talking to Mrs. Ramirez that morning, the fact that she’d let them take Hector must be unsettling as he’s all she has left.  

“Nick, are you okay?” The doctor asks. Isaac coughs in place of a growl again when he hears the fake concern in her voice. 

“You okay Isaac?” Travis asks. 

The wolf nods and clears his throat. 

“Yeah,” Nick says when he realizes the doctor is still waiting for him to reply. “Uh, yeah, yeah. Uh. Is Mr. Ramirez okay?” He asks to deflect. 

“Congestive heart disease in manageable.” It’s not a real answer. “Your heart rates elevated,” she notes a beat later. 

“You’re a very attractive woman.” Nick counters in a somewhat sultry tone with a flirtatious smile as an excuse. Isaac huffs at that and takes his hand back. 

She actually laughs at that and backs away from him before turning to Isaac. “That cough doesn’t sound too good. How long have you had it?”  

Isaac blinks at that. “Uh, woke up with it. It’s nothing, really.” 

She doesn’t listen, already putting on a fresh pair of gloves and moving closer to check him out as well. 

He grits his teeth and allows it. 

“99.2, a bit warm,” she notes before moving on to check his heart rate. 

“I run hot,” Isaac says, tone deadpan as he watches her. When she looks up he gives her the sweetest smile he can muster and for a moment she cracks her serious expression to smile back.  

“Keep an eye on that cough,” she says after she’s satisfied with her notes. She leaves shortly after with Travis and Liza trailing behind. 

“What the hell, man!” Nick hisses as soon as they’re out of earshot. 

“I don’t know! I heard her lie to Daniel when she said he could go with Griselda. Something isn’t right, Nicky,” he says, fear churning in his gut. He wishes he could call someone. Derek. Chris. Anyone from his old pack.  

“Hey, we’ll figure out what’s going on. Just calm down.”  

Suddenly there’s a hand gripping both of Isaac’s and he realizes his nails had started to grow into claws. He lets out a shuddering breath and looks Nick in the eyes. “I won’t let them hurt you.” It’s a promise. 

~~~~~ 

That night the military comes. They start to take Griselda out and Isaac keeps Nick close and as far back towards the kitchen as possible without drawing attention. 

When Daniel tries to go with they hear the soldier with the clipboard say the only other names on the list are Nick and Isaac’s. 

Alicia tells them to run, and Isaac is able to knock out one soldier before another hits him in the back of the head with the butt of a rifle. He goes unconscious just after seeing another take Nick down as well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *screeching* 
> 
> Sooooo, who's ready for the final chapter covering season one? We're onto season 2 after next chapter (which I haven't started on yet, oops)
> 
> As always, hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you have any questions or comments go for it!


	7. Open Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, I am exhausted and almost forgot it's time to post this chapter. I hate to admit this, but I don't have anything else written past this chapter. I'm hoping to start working on season two in the next week or so, but I'm currently working 6 days a week and I'm so tired when I get home at night I'm useless. I'm hoping I'll adjust soon so I can actually get shit done and write more of this and my other WIP.
> 
> Until then I hope you enjoy this chapter <3

Isaac wakes up to harsh lighting and the smooth voice of a man who clearly loves to hear himself talk.  

“So, who are you?” He hears the voice say. 

Blinking, he realizes he’s propped up in a corner, a chain link fence surrounding them. Nick is beside him, and a man in a sharp but casual black suit stands above them both. Nick is eyeing the man warily, and the man is just smiling. He spot’s that Isaac is awake a beat later and his smile grows. 

“Well, hello there. Welcome back to the land of the debatably living,” he chuckles. 

Isaac shoots the man a glare before turning to Nick. “Are you alright.” 

Nick nods but doesn’t speak. He looks shaken. But his heartbeat is steady. He inches a little closer to Isaac. 

The man studies them closely, a flicker of realization crossing his face before he lets out a hum of amusement. “I see. You two are together, then.” 

This time they both glare up at him and he simply chuckles again. 

“Forgive me, I’m being rude. My name is Victor Strand. Looks like we’re stuck together for the foreseeable future,” he says with an easy shrug before turning to look around the room. 

Isaac doesn’t need to look to know what this place is. He smells the fear. The pain. It’s enough to make him want to choke. Worse than any hospital he’s ever been in. The sounds are worse too. People crying, praying, pleading for their lives in far off rooms. 

“I’m Nick, this is Isaac,” The brunet speaks up, much to Isaac’s annoyance. 

“Well, It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Strand replies with a bit of a bow. Interestingly enough, he means it. He smells honestly pleased. 

He leaves them alone after they make it clear neither of them wants to talk. 

Isaac listening carefully while Nick sits close. He hears that they’re checking everyone for a fever, and quickly shifts so he’s laying spread out on the cool concrete floor. He’s been mistaken for having a fever thanks to his enhanced metabolism before, and he’s not risking being separated from Nick again. 

When Nick shoots him a confused look he winks at the younger man, not wanting to explain what’s up when Strand is so close by. 

He does, however, sneak his hand under the edge of Nicks coat, which he’s taken off and put over himself like a makeshift blanket, and he takes a moment to pull away any pain he’s feeling. There isn’t much, but he figures better safe than sorry. 

Nick shoots him a thankful look and turns his hand to hold Isaac’s before he can pull it away. His grip tight with his worries. 

He holds on just as tight, knowing this place could very well be the end of both of them. There are too many soldiers. Too many guns. Isaac is only one wolf, and he can’t fight past all of them and the potential horde of dead waiting outside. 

It’s not long before the soldiers taking temperatures come to their cage, and after Strand and Nick, both pass Isaac is sure he’ll fail. 

“98.6,” The soldier says before moving on. 

He’s so relieved that he doesn’t even try to hide it. He slumps back into the corner and pulls Nick close. The younger man goes easily, curling into Isaac’s side with his head tucked under the wolfs chin. 

“Don’t get too cozy,” Strand says, bursting their little bubble of relief. “They come back every few hours to do another check.” 

They just stare at him in silence for a long moment before he comes to sit on the bench to their left and begins to speak again. 

“The two of you look like you know the meaning of the word necessity,” Strand says, studying them closely. 

“Well, I’m an addict, so-” Nick begins, but is quickly cut off. 

“No, you are a heroin addict. That’s the gold standard. Don’t sell yourself short.” He states it as a fact, an observation, and not an assumption. 

Nick and Isaac trade confused looks at that. Sure, Nick still looks scraggly, and his face still shows some signs of his having used in the past, lips a little discolored and a healing scratch or two on his cheek from the stress reactions of detoxing. But how could the other man know for sure? 

“The soldiers are leaving,” Strand presses on, ignoring their confusion. “I’m gonna require a man with your talents when I make my move.” 

Isaac holds back a growl, though he knows Nick felt the slight rumble in his chest before he cut it off. 

“What move?” Nick asks quietly after shooting Isaac a glance. 

With a small smile, and careful not to let anyone around them see, he holds out his hand and reveals a shiny key. A key that is undoubtedly to the lock on their little cage. 

The three of them fall silent after that. 

Nick snuggles closer to Isaac, tucking his face into the wolfs neck so he can hide that he’s whispering. “I know you don’t trust him,’ he starts softly, so softly that Isaac knows no one else could possibly hear. “But I do. He’s our ticket out of here, so let’s play along...Just... Trust me...?” 

Isaac sighs and gives Nick a slight squeeze in response before turning his head and pressing his nose into his hair. “I trust you. It’s gonna be okay,” he murmurs. 

~~~~~ 

Hours later, when he’s fairly sure it must be the next night, he and Nick have taken turns dozing. It doesn’t feel safe to do things any different. Even Strand slept for a while. Isaac found himself studying the older man then. 

He’s human. That much he’s sure of. Just an incredibly perceptive one, as far as he can tell.  

There’s chatter farther into the building. 

Radios chirping. 

People rushing back and forth. 

The sounds of things being packed and moved. 

They’re getting ready to bug out. 

The word  _Cobalt_ being thrown around. 

He thinks he hears gunfire outside as well. But they’re too far into the compound. There are too many walls and too much noise to be sure. 

It’s then that he notices how Strand is fidgeting. He’s doing some kind of motion with his hands. Then he straightens his tie and starts to speak calmly. “Don’t draw unnecessary attention.” 

He’s saying it to Nick, who’s been pacing back and forth in front of them both for a good five minutes. It makes Isaac smirk. He feels like an animal in a cage, but Nick is the one acting like it. 

“I am losing my mind,” He states matter-of-factly. “I thought the house was bad.” 

“Picture you’re somewhere else, with a needle in your arm.” 

Isaac growls before he can catch himself, and the older man shoots him a truly quizzical look.  

“Apologies,” he says lightly. He means it. But that doesn’t make Isaac’s anger lessen. 

“Where’s your house?” Strand asks Nick a beat later. 

Nick, who has leaned back against one of the metal posts of the fence, sighs. “Close. El Sereno.” 

Strand smiles at that “Oldest community in Los Angeles. Predates the city. Vibrant, blue-collar, diverse.” he pauses, then smirks. “I’d gentrify the shit out of El Sereno.” 

Isaac snorts a laugh and Nick smirks like the man is nuts. 

“Another time, another world.” Strand muses before the relative peace of the moment is cut short by the sounds of gunfire and shouting inside the building. The others in cages all come to attention and start to shout as well. 

Isaac jumps up, ready to protect Nick. 

“What’s that?” Nick asks, coming to stand beside Isaac “What’s going on?” 

An alarm sounds in the distance. 

“Full auto, close.”  

Isaac shoots strand a confused look. He could just barely tell that it’s the sound of automatic gunfire, how the hell does Strand know that’s what the sound was? He’s about to ask when Strand goes over to their door. 

“It’s time to go,” he says as he goes to pull the key from his pocket. 

“So, where are we going?” 

Isaac wants to strangle Nick for being so trusting at this moment. 

Suddenly Strand looks confused as he continues to check his pockets. 

“What’s wrong?” Nick asks innocently.  

Isaac realizes then what’s happening. Nick took the key. Probably when both Isaac and Strand were sleeping a little while ago. 

“I’ll explain once we’re out of here and not a moment before,” he says after studying the two younger men for a long moment.  

He’s telling the truth and Isaac nods when Nick gives him a questioning look. 

“Fine, lead the way,” Nick says before handing the key over. 

Isaac has to grit his teeth and hold Nick’s hand as they walk past all the people begging to be let out. He’s never been an altruistic person, but he can hear Scott in the back of his mind urging him to help these people and it’s almost too much to bear. 

He doesn’t even listen to what Strand and Nick are saying to each other, he knows he should, but the urge to use his strength to break open every fucking door is making him want to howl.  

“Who the hell’s Abigail?” Nick asks.  

That snaps Isaac out of his thoughts. 

They’re past the cages now. Heading for a hallway. 

They’re getting closer to the sounds of gunfire when Isaac hears Soldiers coming... And apparently, Strand does as well because they both reach for Nick to pull him out of the way at the same time. 

The older man and the wolf trade wary looks, which Nick ignores in favor of listening for the soldiers to pass. 

Once the coast is clear they sprint through what turns out to be a stairwell of sorts and into the next hallway, Strand closing the door behind them before they start moving again 

He hears the sounds of the dead in the next room before they reach it, and he grabs Nick’s wrist to slow him down. Strand moves on ahead, slowing when he reaches the door and realizes what waits inside. 

The older man shushes them even though neither speaks.  “Wait here,” he says before slowly stepping forward. 

“Are you crazy, man? What are you doing?” Nick asks as he pulls out of Isaac’s grasp and follows after Strand. 

“It’s alright. They’re slow,” Strand explains in a low voice. Like he’s trying not to spook the dead that are currently eating other people right in front of them 

There’s a flashlight beside the body of a soldier, and Stand bends down to pick it up before clicking it on and shining it in the direction of the other fallen soldier; the one currently being devoured alive. He goes down a small set of steps, walking along the lower floor so the railing and the soldier are to his right. 

Isaac hears the man whisper for help, it’s the one that Strand had been whispering with earlier during the temperature checks in lockdown. The one that had been wearing a watch far too fancy for him, but would have looked right on Strand, given the rest of his attire. 

Strand steps closer, light shining down to where the very watch is on the man's wrist. He tells him to keep it before the man begs him to kill him. 

“You’re well on your way.” 

Isaac could kick himself for being so distracted that he didn’t hear the other dead coming, several in from a door across the room. Snarls filling the air as they spy the few living people standing not far away. It unsettles Isaac just how quiet they can be, but he shakes it off in favor of grabbing Nick’s wrist and pulling him towards Strand. 

“How do we get out of here now?” Nick asks as they join the man, who is digging through the pockets of another dead soldier in the center of the room. 

“Fantastic question! Melvin was my ride!” he exclaims before pulling a set of keys from a pocket and quickly moving to run back down the hall they’d just come from.  

Nick and Isaac follow, moving quickly to get as much space between them and the dead as possible. They make it back to the door that leads to the stairwell, but it’s locked now. They slam into it, jiggle the handle, try the door to what looks like a room or closet to the left of them. Nothing will budge and Isaac is about ready to say fuck it and use all of his strength to break the door down. 

Strand pulls a gun he’d apparently grabbed from one of the soldiers and starts shooting. Isaac uses the moment to rip the card reader off the wall in a flurry of claws and sparks that does absolutely nothing. He wants to howl with anger at that. 

That’s when he hears Nick shouting, but it’s not from fear. He sees Madison coming down the other hall. 

“Mom! Mom!” He shouts as he bangs on the window frantically. 

Isaac joins him, banging on the other side. “Madison! Travis!” he shouts alongside Nick. 

Isaac starts to push on the door harder, feeling it start to creak a little under the strain. It’s tough. Reinforced steel. Probably with bolts coming down to hold it in place. On the other side, Madison is banging on the handles as Travis hits the window with his gun. 

The dead are drawing closer and Isaac turns, claws growing out as the lights begin to flicker. He’s ready to rip these things apart to protect Nick. Ready to let himself be bitten and clawed in turn if it means keeping Nick safe. 

Then he hears more shouting and the chirp of the card reader from the other side of the door. He retracts his claws and fangs in time to turn and see that the doors are opening and Nick and Strand are pushing them open as the group on the other side calls for them to hurry. 

They make it through just in time, quickly pushing the doors closed behind them, Isaac giving a burst of wolf strength to get the doors to close all the way so the lock clicks and traps the dead on the other side. 

They still run, hurrying out of there as they can hear dead coming from other directions. 

Liza is with them now. She was the one with the keycard that saved them, and she’s the one leading them now, out through the kitchen. 

Isaac can hear the dead, but he isn’t fast enough to stop one from coming out from around the corner to lunge at Liza. 

Suddenly they’re swarmed from all sides and Isaac feels like he’s going to be sick. All he can smell is death and rot and burnt food. He couldn’t smell them coming and they had been so still he hadn’t heard them until the sounds of the living coming close drew them into action. 

They all fight, Isaac grabbing a butcher knife from a counter and plunging it into the head of the dead that had been attacking Liza. He smells blood, but he isn’t sure if it’s from someone being hurt or the dead they’re all killing. Some of them having turned so recently their blood still smells fresh. It makes his head spin almost. 

“Come on, you guys. Let’s go! Run!” Liza says as she takes lead once again.  

Isaac falls into step with the others, trying to listen for the slightest sound of any undead nearby. He can hear several, but they either haven’t noticed them or are too far away to be a bother at the moment. 

As soon as they’re through another set of doors and out of the cafeteria Strand grabs a mop handle and uses it to block the doors closed behind them with Nick’s help. 

“Who the hell are you?” Madison finally asks.  

“This is Strand. He kept me and Isaac safe. He kept the guards from taking us away and took us with him when he busted out of the cages,” Nick explains, tone giving away how grateful he is to the older man. 

Madison says nothing to that.  

Strand preens a little at the praise and Isaac wants to roll his eyes. 

Across the room, Isaac can hear Daniel asking about his wife. He can smell the sorrow from Liza over the smell of rot lingering strong in his nostrils, and it makes his heart ache as it’s joined by more of the same from the old man and his daughter. 

After that Liza leads them to where the doctors had been taking care of their patients. The smell of death is overwhelming, and it makes Isaac recoil a moment as they enter the room. Nick notices and holds back a second to grab his hand and give it a squeeze. 

The doctor from before is there. Telling them a way out. It’s clear she’s given up. The despair is palpable, and Isaac and Nick both look away as the others talk to her before they all head in the direction they were told to go. 

“So, what’s the master plan? I assume one exists?” Strand asks after moving up to walk alongside Madison. 

“What do you mean?” She’s clearly uncomfortable beside him, but more in the sense that he seems to be another alpha type personality; like her. Isaac can tell from the way they’re holding themselves they’re wary of one another. 

“Have you settled on a destination, an endpoint?” 

Madison heaves a sigh before she answers. “We’re heading east. The desert. Should be safe there.” 

“It’s not.” It’s not a lie, and Isaac wants to know how he could possibly know that. 

“Then what do you suggest, Mr. Strand?” She asks as she turns on her heel to face him. It’s clear she’s getting annoyed. Especially now that he’s made her question her decisions. 

“Go west.’ 

“What’s west?” She asks incredulously.  

“I have a home on the water. I have supplies. I’m prepared.” Again, not a lie. 

Madison rolls her eyes and turns away. Isaac and Nick trade looks as they start to follow her again. Nick clearly trusts the man, and Isaac trusts what he hears and what Nick believes in this instance. Going with him is safer than going where Madison wants at the moment. 

They can see the door that leads outside, and the moment it’s cracked open Isaac feels his stomach lurch as nausea hits him hard. He smells death. Ash. Burnt flesh. And worst yet, he  _hears_  the crackle of still dying embers. 

The pile of ash is massive. Heat still radiating off of it so intensely that it can be felt from several feet away, and while on the outside it appears to be done burning, Isaac knows better. He almost has to stop and vomit. Almost. He knows the humans smell the lingering scent of charred flesh, but it’s so strong to him that he has to hold his arm up so that the sleeve of the sweatshirt he’s wearing covers his sensitive nose. 

He hears a sob escape Ofelia. The others kept walking, but she and her father stayed back. Obviously to say goodbye to Griselda... 

He blocks out the sound of her sobs out. Feeling like it’s too private a moment. 

They reach the parking garage soon after, Travis and Madison calling out for Chris and Alicia as they enter the floor the two teens were left waiting on. Daniel and Ofelia are there a moment later, and Daniel tries to hush the other parents, warning them the dead will hear. 

A moment later the two teens are running out of a stairwell telling them that soldiers took the SUV, Isaac’s SUV. 

He curses but remembers they had planned to leave it originally and he’d moved his things to the back of Travis’ truck for whenever they were finally going to make their break for it. 

“It’s okay, we still have the other vehicles,” Isaac assures, giving the frantic boy a tired but hopefully reassuring smile.  

Then he hears footsteps coming, a heartbeat, a safety being clicked. 

A man comes out from around the corner, gun raised and pointed at Daniel. “Salazar,” he says. There’s a bandage on his arm that Isaac knows he hadn’t seen on the soldier the last time he saw Ofelia flirting with him. 

“Andy?” Ofelia says as she gets up from where she’d slumped to sit on the ground. She speaks to him softly, asks him to put the gun down, even when her father tries to stop her. 

Suddenly, before Isaac can tackle him, he’s shot Ofelia in the shoulder. 

A second later he’s on the ground, gun tossed aside, and Isaac has him pinned. Travis is beside him a second later and he punches the soldier square in the jaw, making his head snap to the side harshly. He rears back to strike again and Isaac shouts his name before catching his fist mid-air. “TRAVIS!” 

The older man freezes, the anger suddenly draining out of him as Isaac holds his fist tight and keeps him from hitting the unconscious man again. He’s sure that if he wasn't there, Travis would probably beat him bloody. He recognizes the rage that was behind those eyes. Knows what it can make even a good-tempered person do... 

Madison is behind him a moment later. “Travis, leave him...” 

Isaac lets go of his fist then, watching as Travis gives the unconscious man one last angry look before he nods to Isaac in thanks then moves to stand and turn towards his fiancée.  He looks scared as he does so, and Madison puts a hand on his elbow and says it’s okay as she leads him towards his truck. 

A moment later Isaac is up and heading over to help Liza with Ofelia. 

They get the bleeding stopped, make sure there’s no major damage, then load into the car and truck and just drive. 

Madison and Alicia are in the front of the car. Nick wedged in the middle between Strand and Isaac. The windows are down and even though the wind smells like smoke and ash, it’s fresh air that occasionally has the scent of the ocean to cover the smell of death, and it makes Isaac breathe easier for the moment. 

Nick is leaning into him, ignoring how Madison and Strand chit-chat and bicker. They’re warming up to each other, and that could either be very good or very bad. He isn’t sure which yet. 

Once they’re off the main roads and driving down the dried-up culvert, Nick unbuckles himself and climbs into Isaac’s lap, rolling the window down the rest of the way and leaning so he can stick his head out. He gives Isaac a smirk when he catches him staring, then settles back into the middle of the back seat and heaves a contented sigh.  

It doesn’t take them long after that to make it to the west side of LA that housed more of the high-class citizens. Lavish mansions and estates. Strand gives directions, grinning as they go. 

The one they pull up to is modern looking, sharp angles and dark colors. Strand hops out to open the gate as soon as the car comes to a halt. 

“Grids dead,” Nick comments as he watches the older man tap away at the keypad. 

“Generators kick over when the power dies.” Strand explains before hitting the last button and turning to open a small gate. 

Again, Nick trades looks with Isaac, and the wolf rolls his eyes. 

Nick follows Strand while Isaac goes over to help with Ofelia. She’s a bit out of it, clearly a bit in shock, and he’d rather carry her than let her try to walk right now. 

She protests at first, but her father and Liza agree it’s for the best. So, he brings her inside and sets her down on a soft leather sofa that looks like it could have cost more than the old piece of crap SUV he owned the last few years. 

As they enter, he hears Strand mention food and his stomach gives a rather loud growl. Ofelia notices and raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. He cracks a sheepish smile before turning to go and raid the kitchen. Even after all the death and blood of the day, he’s still human (mostly), and he needs to eat at some point. They were fed while they were locked up, but it wasn’t much, half an MRE each. Hardly filling for a werewolf with the appetite of three men on a good day. 

It’s stupid, but he ends up pulling out the things to make food for everyone. They need to eat. All of them. And he needs something to distract him from the reality here. Needs to do something to take care of the makeshift pack he feels responsible for.  

All he can smell is blood and death. Ashes and rot. It reminds him of how things were before. The Alpha pack. Darach. Erica. Boyd. Allison... 

He shakes his head and pushes them from his mind.  

He can’t let himself go there. Even after all these years it still hurts too much to let his mind drift to them in this kind of situation.  

Having Nick helped... He thought he was finally better, had accepted their deaths. But with everything that’s happened in the last few weeks, maybe he really hasn’t. Or maybe it’s all the death and chaos and the fact that he doesn’t know if any of his old packmates, old friends, are still alive. Maybe not knowing is just bringing back the pain he’d worked through with a vengeance. Opened old wounds. 

He’s almost done cutting up the ingredients for a quick from scratch pasta sauce when the others start to filter into the room, getting drinks of water and raiding the cupboards for snacks even as they realize Isaac is clearly making enough food for them all. 

No one’s really talking, probably too drained, and he’s grateful for the silence that’s only broken when Liza comes in and speaks to Chris. He doesn’t listen. He’s vaguely aware of the fact that she smells like blood still, and he does his best to ignore it as he focuses on the food he now has on the stove. Half of them smell like blood, or rot, or acrid smoke and ash. 

He doesn’t even notice that Madison has gone and followed Liza out of the room. Letting himself zone out and be unaware for a bit in his own little world. There are enough people. His own little makeshift pack. He knows he’s safe for the moment. 

Nick briefly wanders in, he smells like the ocean as he leans against Isaac’s side to inspect what the wolf is cooking. 

A moment later he’s gone and Isaac misses the contact immediately. It’s silly. He hasn’t forgiven him, at least not fully. They aren’t together like before. But he feels like he’s missing a part of himself with the younger man gone, and he hates it. 

“You need a hand with anything?” Travis asks from a few paces away. 

Isaac shakes his head no and Travis gives him a nod in turn before walking towards the living room. The door to the backyard is still open out there, letting in the smell of fresh salt air as the breeze comes in from off the ocean. 

The parents, with the exception of Daniel, have all wandered down to the beach by the time the food is done, and Isaac makes sure the teenagers and Ofelia get a plate each before serving Daniel, Strand, Nick and himself. He leaves enough for Liza, Madison, and Travis. The silence as they eat is soothing. Makes Isaac feel like things are going to be alright as long as they can stick together and keep each other safe. 

It’s not long after that a gunshot rings out from somewhere on the beach below. 

Everyone runs. 

Travis is down at the water's edge, on his knees as the waves lap at him. 

Liza lays dead, a bullet through her forehead. 

Madison tells them she was bitten before heading towards the water to be with Travis. 

Alicia looks blankly on in shock as Chris cries over his mother's body. 

Isaac lets his claws dig into his palms as he curses himself for not realizing, not being fast enough, letting one of his own die yet again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! We have reached the end of season 1! I will, of course, be doing seasons 2 and three, I just need a bit to work on them. For now, I need to go to bed because I have to get up early tomorrow and have a root canal done T_T hope you all enjoyed and we'll see you next time <3

**Author's Note:**

> Story will be updated every other week until it's finished. If you have any questions or comments please feel free, I'd love to hear what you're all thinking.
> 
> Feel free to [Check out my Tumblr](https://meteora-writes.tumblr.com) for story update schedules and other info <3


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